Robot Sex Is Fine, But Paying For Sex Is Still Bad!

Lately it seems that all you’ve been hearing about in the news lately are the same three things: we hear about the many sex studies that are going on to see just what makes us tick; we hear about the fact that selling sex in any way is bad and must be punished for breaking social norms; and we also hear about the fact there are people out there making sex robots.

Now a new story has hit the web. Basically, an expert in the psychology of sex has come forward to say that, not only will we be having sex with robots in the future, but it will also be socially acceptable. If that wasn’t weird enough, she has also said that it will probably be more popular than the real thing!

And yet people still can’t get over the idea of paying for sex, which is often claimed to be the oldest profession in the world. What gives? Why would it be okay to fuck a robot when people still can’t get over seeing an escort?

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The expert on the psychology of sex, Dr Helen Driscoll from the University of Sunderland, has suggested that, with the great advances that are being made in robots built for the purposes of sex, it isn’t going to be long until the stigma attached to it goes away.

She said that “we tend to think about issues such as virtual reality and robotic sex within the context of current norms”, before going on to say that “if we think back to the social norms about sex that existed just 100 years ago, it is obvious that they have changed rapidly and radically”.

She believes that in around 50 years we could be seeing those having sex with robots as completely normal, instead of looking and thinking about them as though they are completely weird (like we do now).

She has pointed out that things like virtual reality are really making headway at the moment, as they are becoming “more realistic and immersive”, meaning that the sex robots are “able to mimic and even improve on the experience of sex with a human partner”. This, she believes, might lead someone to have sex with robots instead.

Driscoll does take into account that this is pretty shocking stuff to read. Yes, we understand why people want to do it, especially with the amount of films and TV shows at the moment with realistic human robots as main characters, but she points out that “we should not automatically assume that virtual relationships have less value than real relationships”. In fact, she goes on to explain that “people already fall in love with fictional characters though there is no chance to meet and interact with them”, so is it really that big of a jump to go from a human being to a robot?

Given the amount of people out there who are eager for the world to adopt the Swedish model on prostitution, which sees the client criminalised for paying for sex, we suspect it won’t be as quick a change as she believes. After all, if people can’t get over two consenting adults having sex when one of them has paid for the privilege, how are they going to see sex with a robot any differently? No, there isn’t a person involved in the same way, but you are still paying for sex!

Sex with a robot vs. paying for sex

Okay, so having sex with a robot and paying for sex are both very different from each other, so in a way it isn’t fair to compare them. However, people are generally quite stuck up and prudish about sex, so the idea of people having sex with robots is going to disgust them in the same way that they are disturbed by those who choose to pay for sex.

Paying for sex is different to having sex with a robot. At the moment, there are plenty of sex dolls on the market to have sex with but none of them provide that same level of connection. It is pretty much just a hole for you to fuck, which isn’t what you are looking for. When you have sex with an actual person, you get to talk to them and get to know them a little better.

With sex workers, you get the whole package. You get a friend to talk to and a lover all in one. They will know just what makes you tick and how to touch you to turn you on, and while there might be money changing hands, you often forget about that. It feels like you are on a genuine date with a genuine person.

There is, of course, the belief that sex robots will soon become so convincing that telling one apart from an actual human could be touch. As Driscoll says “when eventually there are intelligent robots indistinguishable from humans – apart from their lack of bad habits, imperfections and need for investment – not only are we likely to choose them over ‘real’ humans but psychologically we will not suffer if we are not able to tell the difference”. And yet, I fully suspect that paying for sex will still be seen as morally wrong and socially unacceptable, while buying a robot to fuck will be okay.

Do you think having sex with a robot will ever be socially acceptable, or is this all just wishful thinking from those hoping it will soon become true? I definitely have my doubts on this one, but what do you think?

You can let us know how you feel about this either by leaving a comment in the box below or by heading over to the Escort Norway forum and joining in the discussion there. Are we ever going to be ready to accept robots as sexual partners, and if we do will it be after we accept sex work as a real career?

Lara Mills is a writer who has four years of sex industry expertise behind her. Since she entered the adult industry, she has worked on the Escort Advertising forums, before moving into her current role three years ago.

Since then she has gained a fine reputation with her blogs on sex advice, sexual health and amusing news stories from around the globe. She is also a campaigner for the rights of sex workers from all over the world.

In her spare time, Lara keeps herself active by going running, and is something of a film buff. She also loves to go travelling.